Playing With Fire
by SatoshiluverXOXO
Summary: Sequel to 'Haunted'. Everything is going fine for Gaara. But the uniting of two organizations is becoming a hassle as he tries to balance his new relationship. Review or I shall stop writing! I did once already...
1. Chapter 1

Well, I figured a way to put up my sequel until my computer gets back from the computer fixing place. They have to reinstall everything so… no idea when I might be getting it back. But I found that if I can quickly sign on at my parent's shop where I often work, I could upload from a disk and put it up. . But I'm ready to go! Gaara plushie on the monitor, anime night shirt on, missing nin head band, music blasting in my ears, my cat attacking my feet, with a huge assortment of chocolate. It's thirty minutes to midnight, and I'm as hyper as ever. Which is why you are getting the sequel RIGHT NOW!

So, to protect myself from being ignored for rambling. I give you the sequel to Haunted.

Playing With Fire

Chapter One

-o-o-o-

A group of four sand ninjas walked through the damp hallway of the mazelike temple. Two were kunoichi wielding fans for weapons. A blond well known throughout her village, Temari, carried a fan as large as her body. The other, medic ninja, with short strawberry blond hair and gray eyes, Mei, carried two hand held fans. The only male ninja in the group had spiky brown hair and bright sky blue eyes. The last ninja was noticeably shorter than the rest, with bright blond, curly hair tied up in a ponytail. Kira was leading the others through the temple of her ancestors. Why, she had no idea. Temari was supposed to be inspecting the area for anything that might be a 'threat to the village'.

Temari studied the writings along one of the walls, finding she couldn't understand any of the writings or symbols. They've been walking for a few hours now, and so far nothing stuck out in the dusty underground temple. "Where are we headed exactly, Kira?" She asked.

"The Kazekage told us to simply explore the temple. We're actually going in circles."

Yu groaned, wondering why he agreed to come. Walking around a dusty temple full of cobwebs was turning into a bore. Where are the hidden traps? Where's the torture chamber?

Mei, being a medic ninja and always interested in old artifacts or pieces of information seemed to be much more interested than the others. She noticed the wall that Temari was looking at, and asked Kira the same question that she asked for every other little inscription. "What does this say? I can't read it."

Kira turned her head, studying it for a moment before translating. "It's about a jutsu used long ago to replace souls or something similar to that. I can't really tell what it was supposed to do. I don't think it ever worked though. There was conflict about testing it, or even using it for that matter. Later we found out that it took too much chakra to use. Only a demon holder of the most tails would be able to use it. But even then, it probably wouldn't be enough." She began to walk away. "Playing God was something my people often tried." She muttered, returning to their 'expedition'.

Only a few days had passed since the battle with her uncle finally ended. The four of them along with Kankuro and even Gaara were responsible for picking up the mess. Even so, the Kazekage didn't seem to be allowing any information over what occurred. As far as the village knew, Gaara might have been simply taking a few hours to relax when he disappeared from his meetings and other duties. They had no clue. It was irritating to her. Not knowing what was going through his head. '_What could he possibly have found out?'_

"Let's head back. We've been down here for _hours._" Yu whined, cutting off Kira's train of thought.

"Alright. It's hard to tell the time in here anyways," she agreed, nodding her head.

He grinned, turning on his heel before racing off. "Race you all!"

Temari and Mei blinked, before sprinting after him and yelling, leaving Kira behind. The small kunoichi chuckled lightly, shaking her head. "Morons." She mumbled before turning her head to the wall again. "Kina! Where the hell have you been?" she exclaimed at the sight of her feline partner. Kina looked like an ordinary house cat, excluding the flame-like coat and red eyes. The cat gave a purr, flicking her tail mockingly at her as she approached the wall. She stood on her hind legs, placing her front paws against the stone. "Don't touch that Kina." The human warned. But the cat ignored her, pushing her paws on the wall and opening a passage to the very right of the wall and slipping in.

"Kina!" Kira hissed as she followed her. The kunoichi walked through the new passage, coming to a dark room at the end. She snapped her fingers, lighting a small fire in the palm of her hand. Using it as a torch she saw that the room's walls were completely covered in symbols and writings. The floor was made of black and red marble, a small path seeming to lead to the center where rings of more writings surrounded an altar. She furrowed her brow. She remembered being in here before, but couldn't remember when. It seemed so blurry…

She walked up the small path, placing a foot onto the altar. It was then that she noticed a small table in the very center. But before she could examine it any further, she heard Mei calling her name from the other room. She hesitated, before turning and picking up Kina. She raced back through the passage, shutting the secret entrance behind her. Mei turned around, giving a small shriek when Kira suddenly appeared behind her, fire still in the palm of her hand.

"God damn it, Kira. You know that scares the shit out of me."

"Love me too." Kira replied with a rare smile before running by her. "Let's go gather the others. I'm hungry!"

"Not this again." Mei muttered before following. "She always gets hungrier when she thinks. To think that even possible."

-o-o-o-

Five Months Later… 

Gaara was sitting in his office, resting his head against the back of his seat. Paperwork was piling up again, his most hated task.

He looked at the small bento box Kira left for him. She came by and helped him for about an hour with his paperwork, then left only to return to drop off the box. He knew it was food, but her sudden gift scared him. He never noticed until a few days ago, but Kira ate A LOT. Naruto would probably find her food consumption to be surprising even. And from what he'd seen, that was quite a bit. Maybe it was something with people with really blonde hair...

The fact that she actually _resisted_ from accidentally leaving the box unlocked from her 'small bites' was strange. He opened it, seeing that half of its contents were still inside. Even the sashimi that Kina often took was there.

At the thought of the cat, Gaara nearly threw the entire box out. That cat caused more trouble than the children in the academies. A few weeks ago she hid laxatives in the food on a day FULL of meetings. How he missed that small detail was unknown to him. He was still having trouble walking around the village without someone breaking into sudden hysterics.

He reached over, taking the bag and opening it again. A simple boxed lunch, full of different meats and other foods. She even got one of his favorites. Beef tongue.

He broke his chopsticks, and was about to take the first bite when Kankuro came running into his office, stomping around about something or other.

The Kazekage used trained patience as he carefully placed the chopsticks down, looking up at his brother. "Kankuro." He said, shutting his brother's mouth instantly. "What the hell are you saying?"

Kankuro placed his arms onto the desk and leaned forward, glancing side to side. "Where's Kira?"

"She left a few hours ago."

"Did she bring you lunch?"

Gaara pushed the entire bento box into the trash. "Yes."

"She's suddenly giving everyone gifts. Nobody is in the hospital or recovering from shock, so Kina didn't get into anything." He stood up straight again.

Gaara heard his stomach growl angrily at him for throwing out the good food. "And…?"

Kankuro scratched the back of his head, "Just weird is all. A little out of character, don't you think?"

Gaara stared at his brother until Kankuro began to shift uncomfortably from the intent stare. "Get out, Kankuro. I'm busy." He finally said, waving off to the other is dismissal.

Kankuro frowned, reluctantly leaving as he grumbled under his breath. Gaara waited until the annual slamming of doors stopped before going over to his window. A message bird had arrived from Konoha during Kankuro's visit and was waiting patiently outside. It seemed to have already gone through the arrival office, so he wouldn't need to figure out the code on his own.

He opened the window, allowing the bird inside before taking the small note. He made the right hand signs, releasing the seal and opening it.

"More info on secret organization. Sending full report as soon as possible." He read aloud, rolling it back up and tucking it in a drawer. "Why not just send the report?" he muttered, feeding the bird something from a small pouch near the window and sending it off again.

He'd received a few reports about an organization of S-Ranked Missing Nin over the past few weeks. But it wasn't enough information to fully understand what their actions or who members may be. All he knew was the members weren't people who he should underestimate.

The clock rang, striking a late hour. He blinked, looking out the window. Wasn't it sunny just a few seconds ago…? Oh well. He was hungry, and was regretting throwing away the untainted meal.

'_Acting strangely? I doubt it's a real problem. It's been five months since the battle with Osaka. She seemed to recover in just a few hours.' _ He convinced himself, locking the doors to the office as he left. He heard a meow, looking up to see the familiar sight of Kira waiting with Kina in her arms on the roof. She jumped down beside him, before beginning to walk back to the mansion beside him. '_I doubt it's anything important.'_

-o-o-o-

And the first chapter to Playing With Fire is done. I have the other typed too. So update will be sometime next week. Kira is back!

And I'm sorry for those of you who have been waiting for so long. My computer was in the shop getting fixed, but when we got it back. They had deleted EVERYTHING. Our pictures from the past 5 years, my computer graphics, EVER SINGLE FILE. So we took it somewhere else, where they were luckily able to recover everything that I needed. . So I'm happy again. Four weeks without a computer with internet, made me a little dangerous…

And if I am editing your story, please give me 48 hours. I promise I will send it the moment I find something to transfer it with and the time. I'm a little busy at the moment with school and such.

I need some comments soon too. Let me know if I'm leaving too much unanswered or giving too much out. I have so many different ways to go through this, and I need your opinions on what I can decide. This is gonna get SOOO freaking awesome.

Well I don't have anything else to say besides R&R

Ja-ne!


	2. Chapter 2

I'm in school at the moment. I've been editing this bit by bit during my computer class, so now that it's done. I'd thought I would put it up.

-o-o-o-

"Huff…huff…huff…" Kira panted as she ducked under another attack from one of Kankuro's puppets. Her eyes were gold, activated by her kekkai genkai as her long fangs gleamed, hissing at the toy attacking her.

Kankuro was hiding among the empty buildings that stood in the training area. They were built to help them train to become better ninja, since the buildings had more places for enemies to hide and items to use. But with Kira's keen senses, it was easy for her to pinpoint his location and dodge any ambushes by his puppets.

It was another boring day of training. Missions were few these days, so they had more free time to hone their skills and test new jutsus. Temari was gone on another trip to Konoha; although they all knew she was probably with Shikamaru. Gaara allowed her to go on any missions that were involved with him. Although the two denied it, even Gaara could see they had a strong bond. But long distance relationships were 'troublesome and a total drag'.

Gaara was stuck in meetings again, more news from allied nations about possible dangers to the villages. Kina went with him, finding sleeping on his lap more appealing than sparring. But Kankuro and Kira hadn't fought in awhile. It was time for another fun battle.

Kankuro moved his fingers as he hung upside down on the ceiling of a fake awning. He was well hidden by a few posts, and his height above her made it impossible to be seen unless she was right below him. But he had full few of her, and it was easy to see that she was beginning to fatigue.

Opening its mouth, Crow took out a sharp tipped pole-like blade with a paralyzing poison. It bent downwards to follow Kira as she ducked under its many arms. But she placed her hands on the ground beneath her, lifting her legs from the floor and striking the puppet in the chest. It was sent flying into a wall, but shot an array of similarly poisoned kunai from its still gaping mouth. She cursed under her breath, pushing off the ground completely, spinning as she dodged the attack.

She quickly landed on her feet, gold eyes darting side to side. Kankuro had more than one puppet in use, and she wasn't planning on being caught off guard that easily. The wind blew, carrying mixed scents in the air with it as it tossed the stray hairs from her face. She inhaled, catching the familiar scent of wood. "Damn it." She said as she leapt away from her spot. A moment later and Kankuro's second puppet came blasting from below the ground. "Too close." She muttered, hearing him curse from not too far away.

"Damn. She must have sensed the ground shifting under her feet." Kankuro mumbled as he redirected his puppets. He blinked, squinting out from his hiding place. Seeing that he could no longer see his opponent, he knew he wasn't safe. Kira was quick, probably as fast as the ninja he had met in Konoha. Maybe even faster. It wouldn't be hard or take too long for her to search the surrounding area. He had to see his puppets in order to use them, so she would know he was somewhere nearby.

He flipped down, landing on the ground without making a sound before darting towards a new empty building. But before he could make it, a huge wall of fire lit up making a full circle around him. It had been a trap. He scowled, pulling his arms towards his body as he brought both of his puppets to him. But Kira was in front of him before they were, and reached forward as she grabbed onto his shirt. Pulling down, she kneed him in the gut, bringing her foot into his side before releasing him.

Kankuro coughed. He was a puppet user. Naturally, taijutsu was his weak point. He looked up at Kira, releasing the chakra strings as his puppets went limp. "Alright, alright, I give up." He said, falling onto his behind on the ground. He heard Kira's panting subside as she caught her breath. "Are you feeling alright? You usually have much more stamina than this. You barely used your jutsus, and your kekkai genkai was only brought up ten minutes ago. We just played hide-and-seek."

Kira shook her hand, sitting down on the ground in front of him. "It's nothing. I'm just tired lately is all." She sighed, flipping her head and redoing her ponytail. "I haven't been feeling very well. I'm probably just catching a bug." She stated before standing up.

"You get sick?"

She hit him on the top of the head. "I'm still human, Kankuro." She growled.

"Just making sure…" he muttered before standing up as well. "All right. Let's go pick up the brat. He's probably done with his meeting by now."

Kira nodded in agreement, picking up Crow and opening its mouth with her hand as she spoke. "Okay cat-man. Let's go pick up your wittle brother." She teased.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT MAKING FUN OF MY HAT?!" he yelled, running after her as she raced off towards the village. "YOU'RE THE CAT PERSON, NOT ME!"

"Uh-oh. I made Mr. Kitty angry."

-o-o-o-

Kina followed behind Gaara's heels as he exited the large room and headed down the hall. She had been planning on sleeping through most of the meetings, but they turned out to be more interesting than usual. The council had even objected to her presence for this one, something they hadn't done before. But Gaara had defended her, saying she never bothered anyone before and would most likely sleep through it.

She had stayed awake instead. The organization they were speaking about was too interesting. This wasn't the first meeting they held about it, so she didn't know all the information the others did. But what they had spoken about troubled her.

'_Why would the humans want to capture the hosts of the tailed bijus? During the Great Ninja War, humans __**did**__ try to control them. But the demons were too strong, and it ended up in complete disaster. It's impossible to control the chakras of the demons completely. They ended up angering the demons, and had to seal them in order to stop them from destroying the villages. Although that power is something to want, how and why would they obtain it?'_ she looked up at Gaara. '_And what are we going to do? Gaara carries the Shukaku demon. He can protect himself, but these people seem to be capable of defeating him if they are as organized as they seem. I'll have to tell Kira. If this village wants to keep their Kazekage, they have to be able to defend not only the Kage, but the village and themselves as well.'_

Kina sighed, giving a greeting as Kankuro and Kira stormed around the corner. Apparently, the chase had turned into a race, and Kira was running slower than usual to give her friend a chance.

Gaara stopped, watching impassively as Kankuro tripped Kira, only to be pulled to the ground with her. He watched the two roll towards him, threatening to bring him down as well, before finally saying their names.

They both stopped, Kankuro in a headlock as they looked up at him with blank expressions. "Hello, brother." Kankuro croaked, prying Kira's arm from around his neck and pushing her off to stand. She stood as well, dusting herself off before holding her arms out. Kina eagerly jumped into them, purring as her partner stroked her soft head.

"How were the meetings?" she asked, looking up.

Gaara simply shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of him, tucking his hands into the folds of his robes. "More information, but still not enough for me to take action. How was your training?"

Kankuro frowned, "She won our spar. She set up a trap of some sort with her fire. Turns out she's still tricky, even without the demon cat." He took a quick step away from the cat, dodging her swiping claw. "But she was tired when we finished."

"I told you, I'll go to the medics later. It's probably just a cold coming or something." She turned to Gaara. "Come on, let's get something to eat."

The other two nodded in agreement, ignoring her change in subject as they headed towards the nearest place to eat. When they entered, hateful glares were given to Kira as the three sat down. "Uh-oh. I think your fan club is having a meeting today." Kira muttered as she unseeingly counted the glaring women. They all seemed to be eating in the same general area.

When Gaara became the Kazekage, it didn't take very long for the fan clubs to start. Each member seemed to hate Kira. At first they thought he would reject her, and carried nothing against her. But rumors started to spread, and she became the enemy of any girl (or man) who fantasized a relationship with Gaara. If what they had could be called that.

Kankuro snickered, finding it amusing as the woman who took their order walked away. She had been unfriendly towards the other two, but had treated Gaara like he was a god.

Gaara didn't say anything, although his eyes showed mild amusement as Kina hissed at the others.

"I'll just ignore them for now. As long as they don't threaten me, I might as well avoid feeding their fire. None of them know me well enough to make a decent rumor anyways…unless Mei betrays me in a bribe again."

"Again?" Gaara questioned after the woman handed them their food.

"I'm not in the mood for story time." she stated, breaking her chopsticks before busying herself with her food. He frowned, but let it slide as he listened to Kankuro's description of their battle.

A few minutes later… 

Kira was the first to finish, cleaning three plates spotless, only to order more when her stomach gave another hungry growl. Kankuro had moved on to telling about their race, only saying when she cheated and leaving out when he did.

The glares had stopped, until one of the women suddenly stood up. She was tall, and was very pretty compared to the others she was sitting with. She scurried to the trio's table, and pointed an accusing finger at Kira, who didn't even look up. "You!" she said, trying to make her voice as intimidating as possible as she jabbed her finger into Kira's shoulder. Gaara felt her chakra level rise slightly before going back down.

She blinked, looking up with a blank look and noodles halfway in her mouth. "Me?" she asked, splashing the woman's face with broth before swallowing it. Her face showed mock confusion.

"Yes you. Is it true you whore yourself to the Kazekage in order to get a place to live? Why would a ninja need to do that to earn money? I mean, is there a shortage of missions or something? Look around here-" she continued to rant, not seeing Kira as she struggled to breath, choking on her food. It wasn't until Kankuro gave her a good smack on the back that she was able to speak. "WHORE MYSELF?" Gaara and Kankuro tried to hide themselves from her outburst. "Where the hell did you get that you meddling, accusing, pompous bitch!?"

"So it isn't true?"

"I'm still a virgin!"

"You are?" Kankuro and the woman both asked in unison; clearly surprised.

Kira gave him a warning glance. "Yes. Also, how I _do_ make a living and where I live is only the business of those who are my friends and I. Not you. So you can tell the rest of your little club no, I do not whore myself. Nor do I do any other demeaning thing you might've brewed up in your little pot of rumors."

Kankuro snickered as the woman's face scrunched up in distaste. Her hand darted out, but Kira casually dodged the slap by leaning back and catching the others wrist. She stood up, not releasing the others hand until she was standing at her full height… "Look, lady. I'm a ninja. A _ninja._ If any of your stories begins to spread anything that I find threatening to my position in this village, I will personally track whoever started it and extinguish the problem myself." Her grip on the other's arm tightened warningly, forcing the other to bend down towards Kira's height. "Don't think for a second you're 'beloved' will stop me." She said, gesturing to Gaara. "I will take any punishment with pleasure." She finished, finally releasing her grip.

The woman glared at Kira, probably wishing she would burst into flames from the intensity, before quickly making her escape. It took only a few minutes for the others to slowly disappear as well.

Kira sighed, plopping back down in her seat as the other two stared at her. She placed her arms on the table, and rested her head in her arms. "I'm going to head off." She finally mumbled, standing up.

Gaara furrowed his brow, standing up as well and placing a hand on her head. "Your skin is cold." He stated.

She swatted his hands away, stumbling back slightly before standing up straight. "Calm down. I'm going to head back to the mansion." She stated, ending the conversation as she walked off.

Kankuro stood up as well, a confused look on his face. "How can she be cold? We're in the desert, and she controls fire."

Kina jumped to the ground, racing to catch up with her partner. Gaara frowned, angry that she had pushed him away. "Go get a doctor, Kankuro. I'm going to get out of these robes and head home as well."

The other nodded, placing their bill on the table before walking out.

'_Suddenly she's nice. Then she becomes weak, and her body is as cold as stone.'_ He shook his head as he headed outside. '_Normal days are too boring, apparently.'_

-o-o-o-

Kira leaned against the door of her room, resting her head back against its frame as she stared dazed at the ceiling. She felt weak as she walked to the bed, falling onto it in a heap. It was the hottest part of the day, but she felt like she was frozen solid in a block of ice. She frowned, realizing her main source of heat during cold nights, her chakra, felt low and disappearing. In fact, it felt like something was eating away inside her, leaving a deep gash in her chest.

She blinked, reaching a hand down to her chest. She winced as the gem emerged from within her body. Its usual bright glow had dimmed, making it look dull in the sunlight. "What in the world…?" she said, feeling the toll of not having the gem within her. It disappeared back into her skin, leaving a faint mark.

"Something the matter?" Gaara's deep voice asked, causing her head to snap up. He was standing in front of the door, dressed in his normal clothes. His was wearing black pants and a black collared shirt with a brown belt. The black cloth contrasted perfectly with his pale skin, making the black around his eyes an attribute to his appearance.

She frowned, shaking her head. "I'm fine. I'm just low on chakra today. If I rest, I should be fine." She stated, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around her body to try to warm herself up.

He cocked an invisible eyebrow, walking over to her and placing his hand on her cheek. "You're as cold as stone." He said, "A doctor is coming…unless you'd rather tell me what is happening."

"No doctor. The gem is doing it to me. The last time this happened, I was twelve. I just have to go on a mission. An assassination mission would be great." She said, stopping herself from leaning into his warm hand.

"Why?"

"It's as if it is a living thing, and has to feed on me in order to keep alive." She explained, not sure on how it really worked herself. There was very little she knew, because nobody else had been fused with the gem.

"Is that why you're so small?" he asked, lips twitching slightly when her eyes widened. It didn't take her long before she bared her fangs and growled at him.

"No." she hissed. "You're not one to talk, either."

He ignored her remark as he sat down next to her. "I'll tell the doctor when he gets here that you're fine. Apparently, whatever is making you weak isn't something he can prescribe."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm going to sleep." She went onto her side, curling up into a tight ball as she closed her eyes. This was usual for her as she clutched onto a pillow. "When I wake up, can you have a mission ready for me?"

"I will. But I'm having Mei and Yu join you."

She groaned, "But they just got back from their honeymoon. I don't want to hear any lovey dovey crap."

"Either that or Kankuro and Temari."

She stayed quiet, pondering to choose the newly weds or the bickering siblings… the newly weds would probably be easier to walk ahead of and avoid.

"Fine. Yu and Mei."

"Agreed." He said, standing up. He reached a hand down, stroking her head gently twice before walking out. It was a small show of affection, but to her, it was plenty. Like a cat, a few pets on the head would make her happy.

She smiled, but winced as the pain in her chest chilled her body from the inside out.

-o-o-o-

And that's it. Bell is going to ring in a few seconds… so yeah. R&R


	3. Chapter 3

-o-o-o-

Hello again.

Where have I been in the past…-looks up at last update- two months and few weeks? I dunno. I've been busy with marching band and cross-country. Not to mention school. I even went hunting a few weeks ago. I've been just too busy to type this up. Not to mention computer problems and stuff. My mom caught me online at 4 in the morning and has taken away most of my fun time forever. I can't be on the computer late at night.

But I am back!

WITH THE MOST AWESOME STUFF YOU COULD EVEN IMAGINE!!!

Since I get practically no sleep, I have numerous versions of how this sequel will go. So I might have another alternate ending or something. I get excited just thinking about it.

My writing strategy might also be a little different now too. I'm not too sure. I've been reading so much manga and drawing so many different pictures, it's gonna be even better. (As in battle scenes and stuff)

Enough of my ranting. I'm sure you want this next chapter that you have been waiting for so long. If I have neglected my editing jobs, I apologize. I need you to email me, now that I'm active on the computer once again.

-o-o-o-

Playing With Fire 

**Chapter 3**

-o-o-o-

Along a small trail to the north of fire country, a small wooden building served weary travelers food and rooms to stay. It was a small business, but just about everybody who came through that way stopped by.

A woman sat at one of the tables, strumming her fingers impatiently on the wood as she waited. Her hair was a light lavender color that flowed gracefully to the middle of her back. She had gray eyes, and her skin was milky white. She seemed to have an aura of elegance around her. She was wearing a short, light blue skirt with navy blue leggings and black boots strapped to her feet. Her navy blue v-shaped long sleeved shirt had white puffy sleeves from her shoulders down. She looked more like an exotic dancer than a traveler.

Her gray eyes watched the front door expectantly as she traced her perfect lips with a long pale finger, making a popping noise every once in awhile out of evident boredom.

A few of the men who had been eating there had tried to walk up and speak with her, but failed. The sight of her other hand resting carelessly on one of the hilts of the two swords she carried kept them at bay. She held no headband to show which village she hailed from, and the possibility of her being a criminal seemed low. But her weapons and deadly glare had been enough to persuade them otherwise.

The business owner walked up to her for the third time, and once again she told him the rest of her party were on their way.

A half hour passed before two men wearing black cloaks with red cloud symbols entered. Each still wore a straw hat that hid their faces, but by the way the woman greeted them with an enthusiastic wave, they went in without much notice.

The two men sat down across from the woman. The man who had blond hair poking from under his hat in ponytail was the first to speak. "I take it you are Maaka Toku."

She gave a small nod, leaning forward slightly in her seat. "Deidara-san and Sasori-san, I presume?"

The other, Sasori, who was still keeping quiet, nodded as Deidara gave a grunt. "Leader-sama told us you wanted to aid us in the capture of the jinjuriki, hn." The way his voice sounded, it was easy to tell he doubted she could help them. They were a secret organization, so how she had even known how to contact the Leader was a shock for him and Sasori. Why should they accept, anyways?

She smiled, "That's right. Although I have no doubt the two of you will have trouble capturing it, there are the factors of the villages ninjas and allies coming. The demon container you are after is their Kazekage, after all. I'm willing to take care of those small problems while you get your demon."

"On your own?" Sasori asked, lifting his head so that he could get a better look at the woman. She looked harmless, not very threatening at all. He could kill her so easily right now, but he was too close. He was a puppet user and he had been instructed not to kill her.

"No. I have faithful men who will do whatever I say for that. I'm not going to take on an entire villages ninja army on my own. That's suicide."

"Why are you so interested in helping us?" Deidara asked with a grunt, a small ball of clay in his right hand.

"I'm not going to be doing this for only your benefit. I have a target myself, but the Kazekage is in my way. You take care of him, and I have an opening to get it."

"A target?" Deidara raised a brow, his voice mocking. "Hn. As if a demon container would have anybody to protect."

"This one does, and from what my sources tell me, it's a woman. She's one of their top assassins. She's killed dozens of S ranked criminals like you, and is a force not to take lightly. She would be a nuisance if she came after you, anyways."

Sasori was silent once again, taking note of how 'Maaka-san' had scrunched her face up in distain at the mention of this woman. Who her target was wasn't a concern to them. They were not beneficial to their cause and assignment.

"Are you expecting pay?" Deidara questioned, reading off the back of his hand. He had written down the questions Leader-sama wanted answered so as not to forget.

"Once I capture my target, I'll have everything that I need. I expect only cooperation from you two and a detailed description on how you will be moving throughout the village along with any traps you prepare."

"Hn." Deidara grunted, placing a clay bird on the table. He was finished, and wanted to leave now. This woman was useless in his perspective. He glanced at his partner, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Who is your target?" Sasori questioned. The Leader may want to know, and he didn't want to disappoint him.

"I'm not telling you or the Leader until I know for certain you accept my offer. She is unimportant to your cause."

"Fine. We will contact the Leader and see if he will allow the alliance. Can you tell me how you know the Leader?"

"I have my ways of finding information. How I know him is no concern of yours. Only mine and his."

Deidara frowned, standing up and squeezing the clay bird he had made into a ball. "We are leaving then."

"Good bye then. I have other business to attend to anyways." Toku said, standing up as well. She made a hand sign before disappearing in a poof of smoke. The two Akatsuki members glanced at each other before leaving.

"What an annoying woman. Talking like she knows so much. I hope the Leader declines so I don't have to speak with her ever again."

"I'm a little curious, actually. A jinjuriki with a partner? How unheard of. Ms Maaka-san seemed well informed, and she was very forward in her business."

Deidara glared at Sasori, "That's only because you hate it when people are slow and late, and she was early and to the point. I still don't like her."

"You don't have to. I never said I particularly liked her either, but this will make our job a little easier."

"Hn… as if we need help." Deidara grumbled, reaching into his small pouch for more clay.

-o-o-o-

"I'm going to separate you two if you don't stop whispering nonsense to each other."

"It's not our fault you can hear us." Mei retorted to Kira as she playfully stuck out her tongue.

The blond rolled her eyes, turning her attention ahead of them again as she tried to ignore them. This mission was turning into a complete bore for her. The newly wed giggle bunch was annoying her to no end, and they were in the middle of the freaking desert looking for a couple of criminals to kill. "I'm going to go ahead. Our targets might try to get by before we can get to the borders."

"Kazekage-sama said you were ill and needed to be watched." Yu stated, frowning at his friend. Kira was unusually pale, despite the intense heat, and her eyes were drained of all life. She looked like a walking corpse, although her movements and gestures were normal.

"I feel fine. I don't have a fever, nor do I have a cold. I feel perfectly normal." She took his hand and placed it against her forehead. Her skin was cold, and he had to stop himself from yanking his hand away. "I haven't coughed, sneezed, or even stumbled from exhaustion. My forehead isn't warm either." She released his hand, not noticing him tuck them away behind his back. "I'm going ahead." And with that said she ran off

Yu and Mei glanced at each other before sighing in unison. "We just failed a part of our mission, didn't we?" Yu mumbled, looking up. Kira was already a speck in the distance, her speed as inhuman as ever.

Mei shrugged her shoulders, "It's difficult to get her to listen. She's too hot headed. You should know that. Don't worry though. Remember all the times she did the missions without ever telling us? If we didn't train so much, we would have been failures as ninjas from lack of action and be dead."

He nodded in agreement, picking up their pace so as not to fall too far behind their comrade. "Did you notice the only missions she went off alone on were the ones which involved assassination or killing? Other than that, she would tell us the moment they were given to us and whine and moan about how boring it was."

"She's a killing machine. There's nothing we can do about it. You ever wonder why we don't get along? She likes inflicting pain while I try everything in my power to heal it."

He rolled his eyes, "Not this again. You might call her your rival, but I don't think she sees you as one. Stop comparing yourself to her." He kissed her on the cheek. "I married you for a reason besides your body."

Mei glared at him for the last statement, but her face was red with embarrassment. "I definitely didn't marry you for your brains, that's for sure…" she mumbled.

He was about to make a remark on her comment, but a distant scream coming from the direction Kira had gone made him forget. "Was that Kira?"

"I didn't know she could scream. Besides, that sounded like a man, Let's go." Mei sprinted off, worried on whether she was right or not.

"She's having all the fun again!" Yu groaned as he passed her. "She _always_ does this."

-o-o-o-

Kira licked the blood from her fingers. She smiled, the rosy color returning to her cheeks as the men looked at her in horror before screaming again…

-o-o-o-

And that is all I will put up for Chapter 3…

So, who is this Toku Maaka and why is she after Kira? How does she know the Leader? Will the Akatsuki accept her offer?

And why does Kira do the missions on her own when they involve killing?

Isn't Yu and Mei a cute couple? Well... you'll see them more often in the sequel, seeing as how I barely used them in Haunted. Mei, as Yu said, looks at Kira as a rival, but Kira doesn't notice it. She is a medical nin, so I guess that's why. I dunno. I just write. The characters are a figment of my mind that is separate from me, I think.

Hmm…

If you want to write Toku's name as they would in manga, it would be Maaka Toku. But Toku is her first name. Like how they write Uchiha Sasuke and stuff. Just for those who aren't quite as hard-core as others and stuff. Deidara and Sasori call her Maaka-san cuz they only know her on a formal acquaintance and I simply want them to.

Alright, I will update more often again. IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!!!!

So, if I do not update before Christmas or the winter holidays…

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now… I am off to go do whatever it is that I do in my free time. I'm typing this on _my_ computer that does not have a printer or Internet connection.

(-.-)

That is something to put on my list of things I want. A BETTER COMPUTER WITH INTERNET AND A PRINTER!

Ah well.

Oh yeah. It says that Haunted has been updated, but really all I am doing is keeping it slightly new so that it doesn't go to the bottom of the list. Really. Such an awesome fanfiction should not wait at the bottom of the bin to rot. I will be going through my old chapters though and fixing them up. I've already done the first few.

And with that done.

Ja ne!

R&R


	4. Chapter 4

Happy New Years! My Christmas holiday came and went by so fast… I didn't get out of school until the Friday before. I had been so swamped with finals and midterms that I barely had time to buy the gifts I needed to get. But, I'm happy. My brothers got me two Naruto games, even though I didn't want them. They're pretty much the same as the first ones I already beat over and over again. Hell, they've played them more than I have. In fact,, they beat them before I even had a chance to play.

(-.-)

We call those presents the 'to you for me' gifts in my family. I wanted 5 _other _games, which I'm going to have to buy on my own now. But I got Guitar Hero 3 for my Wii, and have already beaten the easy and medium levels. I just have to go through and make them all 5 stars before I go to hard.

BUT

I'm sure you all want this next chapter. I have a friend who wants me to wait in updating cuz he wants to at the same time as me or something. But once track starts, I won't be getting home in time to write. I want to get as much written and updated while I still can.

And with that note done, I shall write!

…

Just _what_ to write is the problem… I know…lots of blood…

-o-o-o-

It hadn't taken long for Kira to find the men she was supposed to execute. Four of them in all, and each of them carried a sword and other weapons for protection. They were guilty of murdering two lords, and the village had been given a large amount of money from the families to take care of the men before they could do any more killing.

Kira slowed down to a silent jog as she came up behind them. Heck with finding cover. All that surrounded them was desert sand. Going in front of them to make a suitable trap or sneak attack would be too troublesome. Besides, a quick and easy kill was all she needed.

She raised her hand, a part the gem in her chest appearing in her palm as it surfaced from beneath her skin. "Get ready to eat you filthy monster." She muttered, pointing her raised arm at the men who were only a few hundred yards away from her.

Red chakra hissed as it shot from her palm, a blast of pure chakra soaring at one of the men. It struck him in the center of his back, leaving a hole in his chest as it went through him. He screamed, dropping his equipment as he gaped at the hole. He watched as his own body began to decay from where seeable remnants of the red power source feasted on his flesh. Within a few seconds there was nothing left of his body at all. Blue chakra raised from the ground beneath where he had stood, only to be sapped from his body by the red, barbaric power. The others jumped, the speed in which their friend had just died shocking them as they span around to see Kira. She was grinning as the blood of the man she had just killed appeared in her palm. She licked it off, the golden color of her kekkai genkai bloodline limit switching from yellow to red. Her canines were long and her claws deadly as she sprinted towards them.

"What the hell was that?" one of the killers yelled as he drew his sword. He slashed it down as Kira came up to him, but she faded to the left while ducking to dodge his attack. She came back up, placing her hands on his shoulders and leaping over him while kicking the back of his head with her foot. He fell forward, catching his balance and spinning around. Kira was coming back after him, her claws ready to slice. He gave a roar as he tried to jab his sword at her, but he moved too slow. Slamming the same blood covered palm into his stomach, she sank her claws through his layered clothing and into his flesh. He gasped, jabbing at her with the sword again and forced her to jump away, ripping a chunk of his stomach from his body along with her. He yelped, gripping his midriff to keep his entrails from falling out. "Monster!" He croaked, blood spitting up from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground.

Kira turned her attention to the other two, throwing the slab of flesh she had been carrying to the side. He would die within minutes. They froze, the deadly look in her red eyes looked like the fiery gates of hell. "You have killed two lords out of cold blood." She said, her voice was a high-pitched scream, like nails on a chalkboard. "For that, you are to be executed without trial or mercy. My name is Kira Kagura, and you're about to be punished for your mistakes."

Kira licked the blood from her fingers. She smiled, the rosy color returning to her cheeks as the men looked at her in horror before screaming again.

'_The gem must consume others in order for it to continue to radiate its red chakra. Otherwise…' _she threw a handful of kunai at the remaining two men, making a hand sign as a mixture of red chakra and fire shot from her mouth. '_It will consume my body and go on a rampage, devouring everything around it.'_ The men screamed as the fire scorched their bodies, blistering their skin as the red chakra drained away their chakra and strength. _'But nobody can know of this. Otherwise, the monster that these four pitiful souls have seen will be known.'_ She stood and watched as her prey slowly withered away to ash. '_And I wouldn't be able to stay in my home anymore. I'll just have to continue covering up what doesn't need to be known.'_

Her eyes turned back to their normal hazel color as her fangs and claws receded just as Yu and Mei arrived. Yu looked at the four bodies…or at least, what was left of them. Two scorched bodies that were black and charred, another one was soaking in his own pool of blood, and the last he could only know had existed from the scattered belongings and clothe that was left. "Kira-chan, you went a little overboard…" he mumbled, keeping Mei back from seeing what was left of the four men.

"They killed two lords. We had been instructed to kill them and I did. They never said _how_ they wanted it done. No worries, I'll buy you dinner when we get back to compensate for completing the mission without you two. Just like the old days."

Mei peeked over Yu's shoulder, her eyes widening as she cringed away from them. "You're a freak!" she screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Kira.

The blond kunoichi simply stared at Mei before laughing. "'A freak?' You couldn't think of a better insult than calling me a freak? I'm a kunoichi, Mei. We're all freaks. I'm not a medic ninja like you. I learned to kill and only kill. Showing mercy to the enemy will only get you killed. Let's go." Kira wiped her bloody hand on a white cloth, taking out a camera and snapping a picture of the battlefield for proof of mission completion and their report.

Yu placed a hand on Mei's shoulder before running off back towards the mission. The medic ninja followed after him, wanting to get as far away from the horrid sight as soon as possible. Kira glanced behind her, muttering a small prayer before following after them.

-o-o-o-

Gaara looked up as a bloody Kira entered his office. Her clothes were splattered in red, a few flecks on her face and hands. She must have come by rooftop to avoid being seen. She looked like a character in a horror film.

She walked up to his desk and put down a completed scroll, sitting down in the soft brown leather chair that sat in front of his desk. He frowned, wondering how he was going to get it clean again. "Mission completed. I've already done the mission report, and I even took a picture of the bodies to show that it's done."

Gaara took the scroll, opening it and scanning the scribble Kira had written before giving a small nod. "Thank you for finishing this mission. The men were supposedly dangerous. You three handled it well." He closed it and set it aside to go over more thoroughly later. "The families of the two lords who had been killed will be pleased to know the killers were taken care of." He looked up, noticing the change in her appearance. She was back to normal, and seemed to radiate life as she smiled pleasingly at him.

"Good. The murdered lords had children, if I recall. They can live knowing the killers of their fathers cannot hurt them anymore." She said, standing up. "I'm taking Yu and Mei out to dinner later on tonight. Can you come with us?"

He shook his head, turning back to the work he had been doing earlier. "No, I cannot. I have too much work to do by tomorrow." He stated, pausing when Kira's fingers ran through his hair in a soothing motion.

"If I help you finish it later, can you come? _PLEASE. _Those two goggle-eye each other half of the time. It's disgusting, and is the worst torture possible."

Gaara looked up, her eyes big and pleading. "Fine, what time?"

"We're meeting at 7:30 in the central area where that new restaurant opened. I hear there is a small stage where dancers and musicians perform while people eat."

"You like dancing and music, don't you?"

"It's a part of my family and blood. My attacks flow like a dance anyways. My last name signifies a dance too." She muttered, turning and heading towards the door. "Don't be late! I gotta shower and get these blood stains out of my clothes…Dress nicely. Mei is making me wear the kimono she bought me when they were on their honeymoon."

Gaara shook his head as she continued to mumble to herself while she left, still hearing her talking as she walked down the hall. "At least she isn't as cold and lifeless as a corpse anymore."

He picked up the mission scroll, reopening it and watching as the picture fell out. He glanced at it, before taking it into his hand and examining it more closely. "What the hell did she do?" he mumbled, putting it down and reading the scroll more carefully this time. "It's as if one of the men was annihilated completely. There isn't a drop of blood where he used to be, but there is plenty where the others were killed."

He sighed. The report was detailed, but it did not give a full explanation on how the men had been executed. It wasn't as if he thought it would be written in full detail, but a small hint would have been nice.

Putting the scroll in its respective place, he stood up and grabbed his cloak. There were only a few hours to relax before he would be dragged around by three hungry ninja.

He left the office, taking everything that he would need to do later with him as he headed back to the Subaku mansion. Kira said she was going to help him, and he was going to make sure she did.

-o-o-o-

Toku watched Gaara from a rooftop as he left the office, tilting her head to the side. "My, what a cute little Kage." She said to herself as one of her men came up.

"Boss, the target is getting ready to go to the prepared area with the Kazekage and two others. What are your orders?"

"We have not been instructed to attack by the Akatsuki. We will simply observe the target and gather information." She turned away from watching Gaara, smiling to herself. "I want to study how that traitor interacts with others. From what I sensed earlier, the gem is becoming hungrier and hungrier as time goes by. It won't be long until _it_ wakes up from its slumber completely. We have to be sure that the preparations are complete and target captured before it does."

"And if it doesn't?"

"I do not know. But the best way for us to get to her is to let others know of what she really is. She is going to do a dance for them."

"Should we prepare the musicians?"

"Yes, Osaka."

"Understood." Kira's uncle said as he bowed and left.

-o-o-o-

AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

IM SOOOO EVIL!!!!

AND I LOOOOVE IT!

So….now you must wait…

I apologize if this is a confusing chapter. You will understand more in the next few chapters if you have not already figured it out later.

And no, Kira is not a vampire. Although that would be pretty sweet because I love vampires...

Anyways, that is all.

Ja ne.


	5. Chapter 5

I really don't feel like taking the time to explain why I haven't been on. My only grandfather died, track started, and school is killing my free time. But, I managed to get this typed, and hope you enjoy it. I really love to get reviews, so tell your friends about my fanfictions as well. I want opinions and suggestions!

That is all…

-o-o-o-

Playing With Fire

Chapter Five

-o-o-o-

Dark and light colored paper fluttered in the air around the two couples as Gaara, Kira, Yu, and Mei made their way through the doors to the new restaurant that had opened in Suna. Yu and Gaara wore dark dressy pants and shirts, seeming to be almost invisible in the dark restaurant. Mei wore a gold and light orange kimono that blended with pinks and red, making it look like the sky during sunset. Kira wore something unusual. She had donned a navy, long blue dress. It was cut on the side from her thigh down, showing a good amount of skin as she walked. The top part of the dress was tight and form-fitting, the back of it showing her bare, tanned skin all the way to her mid-back. She wore a black jacket overtop of it, a sign she hadn't been one hundred percent willing to wear it.

Everyone with the exception of Gaara gaped at the luxurious looking room, taking in the dark and homey colors mixed in with an artistic and eccentric atmosphere. The restaurant was set up like a theater. There were balcony seats on a second story for people with reservations and special events, and the rest of the tables and seats surrounded the circular stage in the center. Four pathways opened from the main doors to the stage, with smaller paths coming from them to lead to the empty seats and hungry customers.

The waitress at the biggest double doors near the entrance was pleased to seat them. All of the workers wore the same matching clothes, as would any restaurant or food shop. Each wore a white mask of a blue dragon, hiding their true faces. They were all wearing similar black and navy blue clothes as well. As the waitress sat them down at a table just in front of the stage, she began to explain a few of the events that were supposed to be shown that evening.

"Welcome to The Dark Dragon. All of the specials are already on the menu for the day, but please, don't be afraid to ask me a question about the food. In the next few minutes, one of our most popular events will be starting. It's a surprise performance, so it isn't listed will just have to wait and see." The masked girl said, her voice polite and perky like any waitress would be before disappearing back to the main entrance doors.

Gaara glanced at Kira, who was sitting beside him on the soft, brown leather seat. Her interest was more into the stage than the menu lying on the table in front of her. It was a circular stage, built so that they could fit more people in the audience and have performances that could be seen at every angle. Small, dark lights lit up the sides every two feet, bordering it as a large beam of white light kept it the brightest part of the room from above.

"Kira, what are you going to get?" Mei asked, snapping the other back into reality as she continued to skim the menu.

"I don't know. I'll order last." Kira replied, placing her own menu down. Gaara didn't seem to have much of an appetite as he put his atop of hers.

"They're about to start a performance. I don't think we'll get to order until it ends." He stated as the lights dimmed. "It should be short though. The waitress told us they have one every twenty minutes."

"I'd rather eat." Kira muttered, glaring at Yu as he mumbled a smart remark into Mei's ear.

A loud voice boomed from the stage as a tall figure suddenly appeared on center stage in a poof of smoke, startling the audience around them. "Welcome to The Dark Dragon! We will begin our next performance in just a few moments! But first, I need a volunteer from the audience to perform while we get everything else set!"

Whispers among the eating audience began, people wanting to go up, but afraid of being a fool of the others.

"Come on, Suna! You are from the Wind country! You should all be free and flowing! One of you must have _some_ sort of talent! I see the Kazekage is in the audience even! Is he too afraid to make a fool of himself?"

The other three laughed as Gaara's expression changed to one of mock insult. "I have plenty of talent, but my friend here is one of the best dancers I have ever seen. Get her up there, not me." He said, pushing Kira from her seat. She stumbled, turning on her toes as she turned her feet to regain her balance. She didn't even have a chance to protest before a small group of people wearing black robes came out and lifted her upon the stage.

Kira pushed her way free from the group of people and squinted as the light from above blinded her. "I'm going to burn that man at the stake."

The one who had been announcing walked over to her, speaking in a hushed tone. "What is your name?"

"Kira" she tightened her hair, kicking off her shoes. "Play me something with lots of drums, and very lifelike."

"Does it matter what type?"

"Not really." She grumbled, glaring at the lively table not too far away.

He chuckled, patting her roughly on the back as his loud voice boomed once again. "Kira is going to be performing a dance for you! Please enjoy, and try not to laugh when she stumbles."

"Pfft." Kira puffed before raising her hands above her head. She bent her elbows slightly and placed most of her weight on her back leg.

The music began. A low, deep sounding drum beat like the pulse of a heart. Kira rocked back and forth, her eyes closed as her body shook every time the stick struck the white cloth. She dropped her head, letting it hang loosely in front of her. The floor by her feet lit up in a red pattern, distracting her slightly as her face looked surprised for a few moments. It wasn't a planned performance, after all.

Focusing once again on the music, the beat began to pulse faster as more drums joined in. It was like thundering rain, pounding in syncopated rhythms as another instrument joined in. The haunting sound of a woodwind was low and full, going up and down different winding scales. It weaved in and out as it grew louder and soft again, whispering its own melody in the air.

Kira also began to move like the music, her wrists twisting as her arms opened and made a half circle, holding them out at her shoulders. She moved, dancing on the balls of her feet as she spun, gliding across the wooden stage.

Yu and Mei watched in awe as their friend floated on the stage. "I didn't know she could dance like that. It's completely different, but she looks…amazing." Mei muttered, jealousy evident in her voice. "When…how…?"

Gaara simply shrugged his shoulders, watching as Kira gave a quick jump as the music suddenly raised in volume and pace. She danced frantically, smirking as she made a few hand seals. Fire rings lit up around her wrists and ankles, moving with her in circles as she made different patterns and shapes, balancing on one foot as her leg and arms were raised above her.

"And to think this wasn't prepared beforehand." He muttered, the music quickening even more as it came towards its end. The ground continued to glow red before changing to a familiar blue.

Kira stumbled, her eyes widened as the music continued to pound at a fast rate around her.

Yu looked towards Gaara, who was frowning at the stage. "Gaara-sama…isn't that…?"

"It looks like a seal of some sort. But what for…?" Gaara stood up, walking up to the stage edge. The announcer blocked his way, the blue and white dragon mask glaring at the Kazekage.

"Kazekage-sama. The show is not over yet. Please, sit down and enjoy it."

"Tell me why there's a seal on the ground." He demanded, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Do not worry, it is just for show."

Gaara looked towards Kira, who was still moving, but at a slow, trance like state, her eyes blank. She was pale, and looked similar to how she had just earlier that morning. "Stop the music. Now." He ordered, his voice harsh and demanding.

"As you wish." The man replied, a sigh in his voice. He turned on his heel, rushing off into the dark room.

The music stopped, and Kira collapsed on the ground in a heap. A roar of applause came from the unknowing crowd as Gaara jumped onto the stage. Kira looked up at him, a ghostly look on her face. He knelt down, placing an arm around her shoulders.

"No!" she yelled, pushing him away as she frantically stood up and leapt away from him. "Stay away from me." She muttered, her voice as harsh as his.

Yu and Mei jumped to the stage, a confused look on their worried faces. "What's going on, Kira?"

Gaara watched as Kira gripped at her chest, the gem protruding from the back of her hand. Blood was tricking down her arm, dripping onto the stage floor before turning into ash and disappearing.

"Get away from me. I don't want to consume anyone." She barked, taking a few steps towards the edge of the stage.

"Consume?" Yu asked as Mei rushed towards her friend.

"Kira, you're bleeding. Let's get you healed." She said, extending out her arm.

"I said, Get away!" Kira screeched, an inhuman sound screaming from her throat. She slapped Mei's hand, her claws scratching the other. She jumped away from them, turning her back and sprinting through the large double doors.

Gaara turned to the other two. "I want you to get the people in charge of this. Now!"

"Hai!" they shouted, giving a solute before quickly running to where the man from earlier had disappeared to.

Gaara turned towards the double doors, leaping from the stage. The audience who had been cheering earlier were now alarmed and confused. Ignoring the questions they asked him, he walked out of the restaurant to follow Kira.

-o-o-o-

The man from the stage smirked as he watched Gaara run out of the restaurant and follow Kira's trail. He removed his mask, rubbing the ridge of his nose to relieve his headache. The loud restaurant was annoying to him, and the bright light on the stage wasn't very kind.

"Master has me running all over the place lately. But with the seal release a quarter of the way complete, she should be pleased." He jumped to another rooftop, slowly following his two targets as Kira started to lose her speed. "She does look similar to my brother." Osaka stated as he placed the mask back over his face. "It makes me sick."

-o-o-o-

And…that is all for now. . I hope you enjoyed this update. I figure about 5-6 pages is good enough for now. I should have more up next time. But it is late, and I'm gonna see if my body will let me sleep.

Please R&R.

I'm not dead, and I would never leave this unfinished. The only thing that would stop me is a fatal injury or something that would stop me from typing. (and my mom).

Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 6

Well, I'm not dead, and my mom didn't stop me from typing. The only excuse I have for my absence is lack of time to type…or poor use of my free time. I've spent more of my spare time reading manga, so if you're angry with me for my… brief disappearance... I'm not the kind of person to really apologize. :D I have a life too, you know.

Here's the sixth chapter. I've probably redone this one about…four times now. I just couldn't get it the way I wanted. I doubt this will truly satisfy my anyways, but I have a friend threatening me to update soo...

Happy now, Toto-chan?

-o-o-o-

Playing With Fire

Chapter Six

-o-o-o-

Mei was asleep on the couch, resting her head on Yu's shoulder as he spoke with Temari. He replayed what had happened in the restaurant for the sixth time to her as she listened with a worried expression. It was already four in the morning, and still no signs of Gaara or Kira. "We investigated the manager's office as well, and we found some rather strange documents."

"Tell us everything." Temari looked up as Kankuro entered, shaking his head before sitting down on a chair.

Mei opened her eyes, yawning before sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her lids. "I'll tell you then. I was able to use a jutsu to copy some of it too."

_Yu and Mei stood outside the manager's office, glancing at the door before giving each other a nod. Kicking it, Yu nearly knocked it from its hinges as it flew open. The room was empty, and it looked just like any other office... a wooden desk with a large black chair behind it. There was a lamp, and a few chairs for visitors near the door as well as in front of the desk. Nothing over the top, unlike the rest of the building that had contrasting dark and bright colors fluttering about._

"_A locked office with a manager that nobody knows." Mei stated, having gained this information from a cook in the back kitchens. She quickly moved to the desk, sitting down behind it as she fumbled through the drawers._

"_Should you be doing that?" the other asked, looking at the few things scattered atop of the desk. There wasn't a name plate, and all he could see were two blank pieces of paper and some writing utensils._

"_We're under the direct orders of the Kazekage. We also have witnesses to whatever the hell just happened, and I doubt anybody could stop us even if they wanted to. Look for any notes about the stage in that cabinet over there." She instructed, pointing to it._

_Yu frowned, throwing a funny face at her before doing as she had told. He used a small blade to force the locked cabinet open, and quickly began to sift through the contents. "I found something." He stated, pulling out a small folder. He tossed it onto the desk before double checking the rest of the files. When he found nothing, he joined Mei behind the desk._

_She had already opened the folder, and removed a folded piece of paper with a sketch of a seal. She looked at the bottom, "It says…'Release Phase I'"_

"_A releasing seal?"_

"_I'm not sure, but common sense tells me yes." She pulled out a few pieces of papers she had found in the bottom drawer. "This place was bought yesterday."_

"_Why? It just opened about a week ago."_

_"I'm not sure but it is possible if preplanned. The people buying and selling probably know each other or one was threatened by the other." She took out one with different sums and totals. "The same person who opened it bought it back for half the price they sold it for just a few hours ago. They gained a hefty income."_

"_Do you think the second owner was just using it?"_

"_Yes._ _It says the stage was rebuilt just before it was opened. So the first one they built was redone."_

"_So this was all preplanned…"_

"_Yes, I'm pretty sure it was. Let's go ask a few of the workers to see if they know anything else." She put the papers back after using a jutsu to copy its contents for later use._

_He frowned at her, "I still don't know how you do that."_

"_I just manipulate my chakra to make a copy of what I see. It takes more concentration than it looks." She replied as she followed Yu out of the office, not bothering to make it look as though they had never been there. The door was barely standing, and Yu had ruined the cabinet. There wasn't much they could do to hide it._

"_What do you think happened?" Yu asked her, turning his gaze towards the stage as they passed through the main area. He could still see the shock on Kira's face before it had twisted into pain. She had moved so fluidly, it was… he couldn't even find the right word. But she had stopped before the song had, and she could barely stand._

"_I don't know. Normally, a seal release would unleash a power, but whatever it did, she seemed to have been drained of all strength. I could almost see her chakra disappear when her fire went out. It doesn't make sense to me. I felt something power up while she became…frail."_

"_Not only that, but whoever had it done knew what type of pattern and seal to use."_

_Mei sighed, "This is far too sophisticated to be just a coincidence. She ran off too. I don't know what to make of it."_

_Yu furrowed his brow, clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white. "I don't understand what is going on, but I do know that Kira looked afraid. We both know she is not the type of person to show fear in front of so many people, or at all even. Whatever is happening, we're going to help."_

"…" _Mei hurried ahead of him. "Let's ask that overly perky waitress a couple more questions and find that announcer."_

"_Agreed."_

"There wasn't a single person we could find who knew something about the selling and purchasing of the place. They all thought they had the same manager and owner since it opened. Apparently, not one employee has met their employer, and if they did, they didn't seem to be willing to tell." Yu finished, rubbing his tired eyes.

Mei reached into her purse and took out the papers she had copied, laying them out on the small table in the center of the room. They were still wearing their clothes from the restaurant, feeling that Temari and Kankuro should know straight away. She pointed to the names on each of the papers, "Any of these sound familiar at all? Like a past criminal or somebody who has something against the village?"

Temari and Kankuro leaned forward, skimming the pages and names. They both shook their heads, "They could be aliases. I doubt the culprits would want us to know who they are. I'd have to search around and see if they're being used for other things." Temari said before picking up the paper with the seal on it. "I've seen this before, though. It was in the ruins of that temple, on a wall not too far from where Kira and Gaara killed Osaka."

"Should we go see if it will show us others like it?" Mei questioned, picking up the sheets.

"Once Gaara comes back with Kira we'll see if she recognizes it first." Kankuro took the documents from Mei. "I'll put these someplace safe in the meantime." He added before heading towards Gaara's office.

Mei looked at Yu, who had his eyes closed in a troubled manner. His arm was wrapped protectively around her waist, his hand resting on her flat stomach. He opened one eyes, staring at her when she placed her hands over his. "It was supposed to be a happy evening." She said, her voice showing her worry and a slight sadness. "We were going to surprise Kira."

"With what?" Temari asked, before her eyes widened.

"I'm pregnant."

-o-o-o-

And that is all for now. It's a short update, because I want it to be. I'm not making you guys read this, so…you get what you get… I'm planning on updating soon.


	7. Chapter 7

All I'm going to say is Hello

Enjoy the update.

-o-o-o-

"_Got a secret, can you keep it?_

_Swear this one you'll save._

_Better lock it in your pocket_

_Taking this one to the grave._

_If I show you that I know you_

_Won't tell what I've said,_

_Cuz two can keep a secret_

_If one of them is dead."_

-o-o-o-

"_Momma, why are you crying?"  
" That's a secret sweety. Now stay here. I'm going to help you Dad"_

"_Wait, what's the secret"_

-o-o-o-

'_Too bad for me both of my secret holders are dead.' _Kira clawed at her own face as she continued to sprint across the landscape. She could smell the blood of Mei on her nails still, feeling her stomach coil at the thought of Mei's shocked and hurt face. How could she have hit Mei?

She no longer knew where she was going, but she did know she was in trouble. She glanced behind her, but that was all the time Gaara needed. She gave out a cry as the sand beneath her feet shifted to create a wall in front of her. She slipped, barely regaining her balance and stopping a few inches from the wall. She looked up at it for only a second before crouching low and leaping over it. Gaara had anticipated this movement, though, and was standing on the other side with a giant sand hand ready to catch the fleeing woman.

"No!" she yelled out at him as the sand snatched her in the air. She kicked at the sand, fury boiling as she snarled at him. "Put me down!"

"Fine."

"Omph!" Kira landed with a thud on the ground. She stood, taking a step away from Gaara when he approached her. "Don't touch me." She bared her fangs at him, feeling the same coiling pain at his expression.

Gaara stopped, his blue eyes staring into her hazel ones. "Why are you running?"

She gripped at her sides, holding her stomach in and curling slightly. "I have to run. I didn't want anybody getting hurt. Please, I will explain everything I can. But right now you have to let me go."

He walked forward again, raising a hand to brush her hair from her face. She looked sick and fragile. He'd never seen her like this. Even when she was hobbling on crutches or in a maid's outfit, she carried this aura of power. "Will you come back?"

She flinched away from his touch. His hand felt like he was on fire. "I will. I'll be home by tomorrow morning. Just let me go." '_I don't know what to say to you.'_

He lowered his hand dejectedly, the sand releasing her with his movements. "I'm going to with you."

"No, you can't!"

"I am going. As your Kazekage it is my responsibility and duty to oversee the wellbeing of all my inhabitants. That includes you."

She looked at him as her face contorted and eyes flashed red. "Fine." She finally said, deflating under his intense gaze. Damn those eyes of his.

-o-o-o-

"Where the hell did you run off to?" Temari sat up from her seat, tripping over the sleeping form of Kankuro. Her entire appearance screamed signs of worry to the Kazekage. She reached into her pocket and took out a small radio, placing a headset to her mouth. "Stop the search." She stated, "Missing targets have returned. I repeat, cease all searches. Over."

Gaara looked at his sister warily, knowing all too well the expression on her face and what it meant. But she did not lecture or scold him, like she would normally do. The thought of her finally realizing he wasn't a child anymore fluttered in his mind, but he dismissed it; that was highly unlikely.

Kira had her head resting on his back, looking quite content as she slept in the 'piggy-back' position. Gaara moved inside, placing her on the now vacant sofa chair. She gave a small noise, before curling up in a ball and turning her back away from them. Kina slipped by and jumped onto the back of it, purring softly to signal all was well again.

Kankuro had obviously woken up after being stepped on, irritation evident with his crossed his arms. He had the same expression on his face that Temari did towards his younger brother.

Gaara simply stared back at them, angry as he mirrored his brothers arm position. He wasn't the guilty one, and he wasn't going to take any of their scolding.

"What happened to her?" Temari finally asked, slipping past him to check Kira's temperature with the back of her hand.

Slightly surprised at the shift of attention, he decided to take this as an opportunity to sit down. "I don't know how to explain it. But something bad is going to happen. I have this… premonition… and I don't have any idea just what it might be. She has other enemies besides her uncle."

"Everyone has enemies. Being a ninja, it could be a group or someone who was related to one of her past targets." Kankuro suggested, standing up and disappearing to the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with herbal tea and handed a cup to Gaara, who took the offered drink readily. He took a large gulp of the warm drink before looking at the table. He shuffled through the papers, picking up the one of the stage pattern.

"Did Mei and Yu get this?" he asked, reading the scribble on the bottom of the page.

"Yes, they did. They're staying in the guest room right now."

"…These people know something that none of us know." He read the heading of the paper. "And they plan to do more, apparently. This was just a part of what they're doing…?"

"Where did she run to?"

"She ran to anywhere that she could. I caught her just outside of the village, but she was acting strange. I managed to get her to allow me to come with her. We went pretty far into the desert, but somewhere we must have made a circle and landed in her old home." He placed the cup down on the table, staring at the liquid as he spoke. "She killed an animal." He stated, receiving confused expressions. "It was the way that she killed it, I think, that caused her to run." He moved to where Kira was sleeping, taking her hand and showing her palm to the others.

The gem was protruding from her hand, a dark and clouded mist within the red jewel. It had a hollow core, and gave off its own warmth and a faint pulse. Blood was crusted under her nails and stained her skin, but no signs of cuts or injury were visible on her.

Temari could only stare. She had no idea what he was saying, or what to make out of this entire thing.

"I think this gem is more powerful than we first thought."

-o-o-o-

I figure that's enough for now. I would love some reviews, since it was one lonely little review that got me back on the computer and typing. Those are _very_ motivational.

Ja ne


	8. Chapter 8

Hello again. Hrm…nothing much to tell you. I feel like I'm dragging this out, but then again, I have no clue what I'm doing at the moment. I guess I'm kind of winging it now. At your expenses of course.

So…before my brain decided to click off…

Enjoy

I REDID THIS CHAPTER DUE TO MAJOR SUCKING ON THE LAST ONE.

Sorry

-o-o-o-

Playing With Fire

Chapter 8

-o-o-o-

"Why are you keeping her locked up? You know when she wakes up she'll just tear down the walls."

"I don't have much of a choice. We have to keep her protected. I'm sure she'll listen if we ask…"

Kira could hear whispering voices from the other side of the door. Their hushed tones weren't low enough for her enhanced hearing to miss, but for some reason she just couldn't make out the words. Her head was pounding behind her eyes, relentlessly slamming against her brain. She opened her lids, shutting them when the only color she could see was red. Red ceiling, red bed, red lights…she groaned.

She rolled over, groping the bed in search of Kina. She found the cat and pulled her into a loving hug. Scratching behind her ears, she could feel her purring as she nuzzled her face in the cat's warm, furry belly. She was so warm to Kira, who felt chilled to the bone.

The murmuring from outside stopped as the doorknob turned. She didn't turn her head towards the door. Gaara and Kankuro's scents were too well known to her.

"You're awake!" Kankuro sounded relieved. She gave a muffled reply, but her throat was parched. Her voice came out in a series of hoarse croaks. How long had she been asleep? She lifted her head, glaring at them as though they were the reason she felt so groggy. She had never been drunk, but if hangovers felt like this she would never touch sake.

Gaara walked to the small table where a bottle of water was sitting. He opened it, moving to the bed. "Drink this."

She did as she was told, putting the bottle to her dry lips and drinking greedily. "I have a headache." She repeated, closing her eyes, "But other than that I'm fine." She felt like she was losing her mind. Kankuro and Gaara were completely red, almost as though they were drenched in blood. It nearly drove her insane to look at them.

"You've been asleep for two days…" Kankuro mumbled. He moved to open the heavy curtains, but paused when she hissed at the sunlight. The sudden light increased the pain behind her closed lids.

Gaara sighed, motioning his brother to shut the curtains. He was tired of her stubborn attitude. He reached forward and snatched away the pillow she had been unconsciously clutching. She probably thought she still had Kina in her arms. She opened her mouth in protest, but was at a lost when he took hold of her wrists and forced her to sit up. "Open your eyes."

She shook her head and pulled at her arms. Her lips curled up into a snarl as she growled warningly at him. There was a small voice in her head screaming at her to strike back at him.

"Open our eyes. NOW." He tightened his grip.

She almost wanted to strike at him, but felt a sudden revulsion that it had even crossed her mind. How could she think of such a horrible thing? She opened her eyes, red orbs glaring at him resentfully. The hazel color was completely taken over by a bloody red. The white around them were the same color. They looked demonic, straight out of a horror film. "What the hell is going on?" his tone was still strict.

"I don't know." She tugged her hands again. "I can't remember." She had seen his face change. There was something wrong with her eyes. She just knew it.

He squeezed at her wrists, pulling her to face him when she tried to turn away. She couldn't bare to see his face. Not when he looked troubled and covered in blood. "Do not lie to me."

'_Tell him..'_ Kina sat up from her spot on the bed. '_Tell him what you know. He can't help you if you keep going on like this. You're hurting the people around you by trying to keep them away. You'll be eaten alive.'_

Kira looked over to her companion, "You too, huh? You know more than I do. What the hell is wrong with my eyes?" _Why does everyone look dead?_

Kina licked her paw, washing her face. '_I do know more than you, but he can't understand my language.' _She lifted her head to them, putting her paw down onto the bed and going to her partner. She rubbed against her arm in a comforting way. '_Calm down and tell him.'_

Kira stopped resisting. She slumped forward to rest her head on Gaara's shoulder. He let go of her wrists, but was slightly surprised when she snaked them around him. Her fingers dug into his clothes, clinging to him. "I'm dying right now. The gem is eating my life force. My chakra. It's normally dormant, only needing chakra every once in awhile. But whatever happened on that stage stirred it. It's waking up to put it in simple terms. I don't fully understand what is going on."

" Why does it do that?" he placed his hand on top of her head, gently playing with one of her blond curls.

Her arms fell from his back, her fingertips lightly trailing down his shirt. She didn't want to let go of him. "I don't know. I was too young when everyone was killed. I hardly remember my life as a child before coming here." She rolled off of the bed, standing on her two feet. She padded across the carpeted floor to her mirror, staring at her face. She reached forward, putting her fingers to the glass where her eyes were. No wonder he had looked so shocked. She looked like some murderous demon. But she didn't have one sealed in her like Naruto or Gaara.

"We should go." She said, reaching for the weapon pouch hanging on the corner of the dresser. Kankuro walked over, taking it away. Her fangs glistened at him in warning, but he didn't back down.

"In your nightgown?" he asked, pointing at her flimsy garment. It was her favorite white gown. It was short and made of a silky thin fabric that followed every movement of her body. Gaara glared at his brother, suddenly realizing that the other was getting quite an eyeful. His eyes had a look of possessiveness and the other male was standing fairly close.

She pointed to the door. "Out. I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes." Kankuro quickly fled, but Gaara didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. She turned to him, her hand still pointing to the door. "You too." She stated, and didn't move until the other had left.

She placed her palms against her eyes, rubbing them in hopes of turning them back to hazel. They didn't, and she quickly began to get dressed.

-o-o-o-

"Why do we have an entire squad?" Kira questioned Temari. They were in the middle of six other sand ninjas. Yu and Gaara were taking up the front while Kankuro followed in the back.

The squad was mostly silent. Yu and Temari had been shocked at Kira's state. Her bloodshot eyes looked drained, and she was always being careful not to look at them. When she did it was as though she didn't see them at all, but something else entirely.

"You were attacked. He's just being cautious. We don't know who is after you. Do you have any ideas?"

"I have many enemies." She replied bluntly. She was obviously hiding something, but whatever it was didn't seem to be coming out of her mouth anytime soon. She was the one who had said they had to go, and she was the only one who knew where they were going and why. "I'd have to see them to tell you."

"Let's hope we don't see them…" Temari looked towards Gaara in the front. He looked stiff, on edge. He'd been more possessive of Kira lately. He was changing in many ways, but his protectiveness of the short blond was one that would probably bring up conflict later on. "Are we going to the ruins again?"

"Sort of…" she said, suddenly stopping. She looked towards the front where Gaara had stopped to look at her. "Right here. There's a second entrance underneath that rock."

The group turned to where she was pointing. They were still a mile or so away from where the Kagura clan used to live. How far did they dig into the dessert? How was it even possible? The area didn't look much different than the surrounding landscape.

The kunoichi moved to the rock, pressing her shoulder against its side. It was a large boulder; about the size of five grown men. There were others like it scattered around the area. Nothing happened as she shoved her body against the cold stone.

The squad just stared at her until Yu walked over. She smiled at him as he mirrored her actions. Leave to him to help her look like a moron. The two placed their hands on the boulder and pushed. Almost immediately the rock split in half and caved inwards.

"It's a door!" he exclaimed, surprised when the rock he was pushing against moved to reveal a staircase. It looked like the rock had been carved into, and was actually a part of one large body. The others like it were all probably a part of one huge rock hidden in the sand.

Kira didn't wait for them to start asking questions. She lifted her hand to create a torch of fire and began her descent into the new passage. Her fire dimmed slightly from the lack of air, but as they walked it was obvious that the large rocks were used to create openings for air to the outside. It was cool but dry; just like the ruins underneath the burnt skeleton of the clan.

She led them quite a ways inside, taking turns when the passage opened to rooms or other paths. Yu managed to make his way to Kira, following just behind her. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know. I'm just following the turns that are familiar to me. I haven't been down here since I was born."

"That isn't really helpful, is it?"

"…It is if you knew what I meant." She said bluntly, glancing back at him. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

He gaped at her, the sudden change in subject catching him completely off guard. She was acting so seriously. It was hard to tell what was going on in her head. "You knew?"

"Oh please. The only way you two could be even more lovey dovey is if you were going to be parents. I had a hunch."

"She's carrying twins. A boy and a girl." He couldn't help but smile when he said it. She reached back with her unlit hand and patted his shoulder. It was a gesture she didn't do often. In fact, she hadn't done it since their first mission. They were just kids then…she was so distant. Everyone knew she wasn't from the village, but nobody knew where. Even she didn't. It was obvious that whatever caused her to come to Suna was too painful for her mind to keep. When she had patted him on the shoulder then, it had been so light. It was like she was afraid that he would hit her for it. Now her hand held more strength to it, and he could feel her love for her teammates in it.

"As long as they don't call me auntie Kira, I'm fine. I'm not that old." She stopped again, looking at a wall.

Temari looked up at it, recognizing the writings on the walls. "I've been here before." She walked over to it and placed her hand against the stone.

"It's a door. Push against it." Kira said, watching as the other did as she suggested. The stone moved inwards, sliding with into wall as it moved to the side to reveal a large dome shaped room. The night sky loomed above, twinkling stars lighting up the dark room.

"It's noon…" Gaara said as he entered and looked around. Unlike the rest of the underground ruins, the entire room was made of marble. The inside had an altar, the sky being the only source of light. The steps leading to the center had engravings etched into the smooth marble floor. Everything seemed to glow with an eerie glow.

"It's a mirage, of course. A jutsu created to give the image of night." She walked over to the altar, moving up the steps to the center. She stepped on one of the tiles, blowing away the sand and dirt as a table emerged from the ground. "I think this is where I was infused with the gem."

"How right you are!" a voice boomed from above them. Each of the ninjas in the squad leapt to Kira, surrounding her protectively. She herself took out her elbow blades, eyes darting around in search of the voice's owner.

The man with the mask emerged from the sky, his face looming over them as he blocked the stars. Yu and Gaarai immediately recognized the man from the restaurant. Yu took out his katana as Kira's arm came to life with fire. She recreated the light lost by the stranger's face.

"Who would have thought that you would still remember this place? Your parents erased your memories of the experimental stage, you know. I guess their technology and jutsus weren't enough." The head above them tilted in a mocking manner. "But you don't remember completely, do you?" The man waited for a response, but seemed to get bored of waiting. Kira glared at the mask in hatred. How dare he speak as if he knew her. "I'm not going to tell you who I am or where I am, so save your breath. There's no way you can get to me at the moment anyways. I'm only here on orders to warn you that you're going to be hunted. You have probably figured it out already, seeing as how you've been attacked. But if I had known that you would walk into this room so easily, I would have done this years ago." The ground underneath them began to glow in a similar pattern as the dance floor. "No hard feelings." He finished, disappearing completely as the stars appeared again.

Kira gave a scream as the release seal was activated. The fire on her arm was burning her, but it was obvious that that wasn't her only cause of pain. Tears of blood streaked down her cheeks as her rolled to the back of her head. The light moved to completely surround her, giving her an eerie glow. The entire room was shaking as though a great power was being released. A pulsating wave shot out as her body convulsed, knocking everyone away from her. It seemed to be tearing apart her body before putting it back together.

But just as soon as it had started, the seal was finished. She collapsed, falling in a heap on the floor. Gaara raced to her and lifted her onto his lap. Her body was cold, like a corpse. He moved his hand to her neck, feeling for a pulse. She was alive, but barely.

"What's going on?" Yu yelled. His fists clenched as he threw a shuriken to the place where the masked man had been.

-o-o-o-

I'm tired.

I redid this chapter. It should be much nicer now. Sorry for the cruddy job I did earlier.

Ja ne


	9. Chapter 9

I guess the first thing I should do is apologize. I honestly don't even remember what made me stop writing this fanfiction. It isn't like I lost interest in fanfiction altogether; I still read them quite often.

I just started college a few days ago. I'm studying Game Design and Simulation. I was bored in class and checked my email, where I found the folder that I used to keep all the reviews I had received. It took me a bit of searching to find that folder, but as I scanned them, I realized I sort of missed writing this fanfiction.

So, I reread what I had already written (my writing style might be different now. I'm older, after all, and have acquired a bit more skill) and searched through my big box of old notebooks. I recently redid my room, so this was actually a long and nostalgic process. The storyline now actually has a general direction, and I am no longer winging it.

Now, if you guys actually read this, instead of fainting from shock that I didn't die and still exist, I will go ahead and let you begin reading.

This is going to follow Gaara a bit more.

-o-o-o-

Gaara gently tucked Kira's hair behind her ear before carefully picking her up. Yu, Temari, and Kankuro were already studying the seal that was in the floor. What baffled them the most was that it was carved into the ground. Whoever created it had done it years ago. Their eyes could actually see bloodstains filling in the cracks in the marble, but whose blood it belonged to was probably long gone.

He moved to the altar, putting her down carefully on the cold stone. He was about to turn to the other ninja to issue orders when Kina entered the room. He frowned, remembering that in Kira's haste she had actually forgotten her companion. It was so strange, since the two had always been inseparable until just recently. The cat looked skinnier, and her coat wasn't as glossy. Whatever was bothering her master was reflecting onto her as well.

The cat leapt onto the altar and placed her paw on top of Gaara's, her claws digging into his skin slightly before she tried to direct his hand with her paw. She didn't have thumbs, after all.

Taking the hint she was giving him, he lifted his hand up and watched as she placed her paw on a circular pattern on the altar. He placed his hand there, nearly jumping when he felt a strange pulse and heat coming from that particular spot. Kina didn't seem to be done though, and placed a claw on another similar circle that was symmetrical to the first. He placed his other hand there, finding that that spot was similar to the other. He looked up at the cat, trying to will the animal into speaking.

He was once again surprised as the circular pattern on the table moved when he pushed down on it. "This place is full of surprises." He grumbled, the edges of the altar beginning to shift.

"What did you do?" Temari questioned as she watched the altar disappeared inside itself. She let out a cry when Kira nearly disappeared into the new opening that the altar revealed. Well, it was more of a pool than an opening. Gaara had caught Kira before she could fall though, and Kina was pacing the floor like a trapped lion.

Yu and Kankuro were the first to move forward. The altar had folded inside of itself before lowering down into the ground, revealing a pool of red liquid. They nearly gagged when the smell struck their senses. It was blood.

All of the ninja stared as Kina moved to the pool, dipping a paw into the pool before meowing at Gaara. It took him a few moments for him to realize that she wanted her partner. He quickly placed the kunoichi onto the floor, cushioning her head with his lap as the cat placed a bloody paw onto her forehead. She repeated this process, placing a paw print of blood on each of her cheeks and one on her lips before scratching at the collar of her shirt.

He took out a kunai, slicing through the top part of her shirt. The red gem was protruding from her skin, glowing in a menacing light that almost hurt his eyes to look at. How could it be so bright while Kira was so pale?

Kina placed a bloody paw on top of the gem now, watching as each of the paw prints lit up in flames. Kira's eyes snapped open, their original hazel color switching back and forth for dominance over the red. She gasped for air, a clawed hand reaching up and clutching at Gaara's clothing. Her complexion was still poor, but she was now awake, though it was obvious that her mind was not with them completely as she had a crazed look in her gaze. Whatever she was seeing wasn't pleasant.

Gaara placed a hand over hers, "Yu, Temari, Kankuro; go check the other rooms near here and see if you can find traces of trespassers." He looked at the other ninja they had brought with them as the three disappeared. They had a feeling there wasn't much they could do to help their friend, and watching her struggle was painful.

He pondered what to have the other ninja he had brought with them. They all had looks of confusion, but he could also see fear.

He knew that look all too well. It was the same look he had seen others look at him with. Back when he really was like the demon sealed inside of him. There were still people that looked at him with that emotion, but these people weren't looking at him in fear. They were looking at Kira. But she didn't have a demon inside her. It was something else entirely; something he was just beginning to understand, but at the same time was still lost to him. "You will not speak of this." He said, knowing that every village had its secrets. "At least not until we all have a better understanding as to what is going on. Can I trust you all to do that?" he glanced at Kina as the cat glared at him impatiently.

"Of course, Kazekage-sama!" the other ninja chorused.

"Good. Head back to the village then, and make sure that the medic ninja Mei is ready to take on a new patient."

"Hai!" they all stated, giving a bow to their leader before disappearing in puffs of smoke.

-o-o-o-

Gaara turned his attention back to the kunoichi that was still oblivious to what was around her. Her expression was one of pain, her teeth grinding together as her eyes fluttered open and shut. Kina gave a meow at him, sounding anxious and impatient.

"Kira…" he said, prying his clothes from her fingers. He winced as her claws sunk into his hand, watching the blood trickle down their arms from the deep gashes. She had an iron grip, and for once his sand wasn't protecting him. Shukaku was probably just as confused as he was. He said her name again, feeling relieved when she responded to the sound of her name by turning unseeing eyes towards him.

"Come on, wake up." He hated having to call out to her like this. The blood prints on her skin were still burning, but they were fading fast. Kina's urgent meowing told him that he had to get her back before they stopped.

But what was he calling her back from? "Kira!"

-o-o-o-

"_**Kira…"**_

'Who's calling me?' Kira opened her eyes, forcing them shut when the image in front of her was all too familiar; the empty eyes of her dead family. It was the thing that constantly haunted her on most nights. But there was something different this time.

"_**Come on, wake up."**_

She forced herself to open her eyes, noticing something different in the corpses she was looking at. The people there weren't her parents, but for some reason they felt like they were. She took a few steps forward, towards the smallest body. The body looked identical to hers. In fact, it looked just like her. The only difference was the scar where the gem rested. She reached forward, putting a hand where it was supposed to be. "Who are you?" she asked, feeling nostalgia.

'_Who are we, you mean?' _ Kira nearly screamed at the sudden voice coming from the dead body.

"What?"

'…_You will know soon. Now go, before you lose to it.'_

"To what?"

'_You will know soon.'_

"What do you mean: Who are we?"

"_**Kira!"**_

-o-o-o-

Kira's eyes snapped open again, this time focusing on the face hovering above hers. She blinked, trying to remember what was happening. They were in the ruins, and the man had done something that had nearly ripped her apart. At least, it felt like it had been.

She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but was caught short when she felt something warm and soft again her lips. It took her a few moments to realize that it was Gaara, and that the warm and soft thing against her lips was his.

"Don't do that again." He murmured when he finally pulled away, placing his forehead against hers. He could feel her body beginning to warm up again, and the bloody paw prints were no longer on her skin.

She could only nod, not really sure what had happened. All she could smell was blood, and it was easy to tell what it was coming from when she turned her head to it. Kina walked over, rubbing her head against her hand. Kira blanched when she saw the blood on her hands, knowing it wasn't hers by the smell. She sat up, taking hold of his wrists to examine the deep wounds in his hands and forearms. "Sorry…" she mumbled, though it was obvious that he didn't care as he simply pulled himself free.

"You have a lot of explaining to do. Like how a pool of blood is underneath an altar, as well as a dozen other things."

"…right now?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "No, not right now. I want you to explain yourself in a safe place. What did we come here for in the first place?"

"I was searching for answers."

"_**Who are we?" **_The memory of her strange dream suddenly hit her.

"And I think I found a few."

-o-o-o-

That is all for this chapter. I have classes tomorrow. They last about four hours each, so I might have an update soon depending on if I get any reviews out of this. I'm a little nervous, since it has been over a year since my last update. I apologize for that. Hopefully I have enough people who mark me that they will get a message on this update.

I know this is a bit of a short chapter. The next will be longer, hopefully. I just want to get something up again.

=^-.-^=

JA NE~~


	10. Chapter 10

I'm sick with the flu. Maybe that's why I feel like writing, when I haven't been able to get out of bed since Friday. I don't really remember what exactly I was doing with this, but I'm pretty sure I will do just fine again.

I had to reread everything, and I noticed I sort of left out the akatsuki and the mysterious Toku out for a while. I am trying to fit this a little more into the storyline of the series, since I dislike destroying it for my own purposes.

I guess it's time to start!

-o-o-o-

Mei picked up Kina from the bed, placing her out of the way as she hovered over Kira. She placed hands over her chest, arms, legs, and just about anywhere else before giving a satisfied nod. "All of your chakra pathways are fine, and you don't have any injuries that I can find." She smiled at the blond, "You also look much better. Scared me half to death when you came in here as white as a bed sheet."

Kira lifted a hand as the feline rubbed against it, scratching behind her ears before pressing a kiss to her forehead. The cat gave a delighted meow, before leaping away to rub against Gaara's legs. "I'm glad to look healthy again. I don't think I would like to have a complexion similar to Gaara's." she said before laughing at the look she received from said pale person.

He took a step forward and helped the other stand up again. He watched her carefully as she stretched her limbs, earning a few cracks. "Can you tell us what's going on?"

-o-o-o-

Toku slammed her fist on the table, gray eyes glaring at Osaka as she seethed. "What do you mean it's not complete?"

He shrugged, sitting down on a cushion on the floor. "I don't know either. From our research, that should have been the last step to release the seal. Our Hime is awake but she doesn't seem to be coming out like we had hoped." He removed that mask from his face again. There was a large claw-like scar across his face starting from the ridge of his nose. "I think Kira has a will to live now."

"So we need to destroy that will to live…" Toku turned her head as Deidara and Sasori entered the room. Both akatsuki members looked irritated, but they were more perplexed on the situation than anything else.

"Our leader agrees to your terms, as long as you are willing to tell us the importance of your target. If it could possibly create a problem for us in the future, we won't agree." Sasori was the first to speak, surprisingly. The large puppet's mouth opened slightly. "Kagura Kira, we want to know the importance of this creature. She is obviously not fully human, but she is not a jinjuriki."

The blond akatsuki opened his hand to reveal a clay bird, clenching his fists again before speaking. "We're not stupid, hn. If we think you might use whatever this woman is against us, we'll kill you."

"I have different plans than Akatsuki. I know your leader won't agree to something unless he gains without any loss." Toku gestured to the few seats left. "Osaka, go get our guests something to drink."

"Yes, Master." The man said as he placed the mask back onto his face before standing and leaving the room.

The two criminals seated themselves, both impatient and irritated that this woman felt she could just order them around. They killed people for less, on a daily basis…well, they did.

"Kagura Kira is one of the last of her bloodline. You know all about those types, but there's something a little different about her." She went to the small desk behind her, pulling out an old scroll. The words written on it were faded, and some parts were so damaged they couldn't be read. She set it out on the table in front of them before pointing to one section that was more worn out than the rest. "I'm sure you know all about the whole quest for eternal life. If I recall, you have a rather unique bunch in your group that some people call immortal. The Kagura clan practically devoted themselves to two things; cats, and living longer. They even managed to bring someone back from the dead, but there was a minor mistake."

"This Kira person is dead?"

"This Kira person is very much alive. When they were banished, Sunagakure didn't tell the entire story as to why. The Kagura clan created a gem, using the chakra of the Nibi, and the blood of infants. Most people just know it as the gem, but it has numerous names such as the Philosopher's Stone or Cintamani. For years these people powered their temples and technology using the single stone. They perfected jutsus of great damage, all revolving around that one single gem."

"It sounds powerful, but obviously we can't use it." Sasori stated as Toku closed the scroll and put it away.

"Only those with the Kagura bloodline can use it, since it was created by their own infants. I guess they wanted a security blanket, but even so, there are always problems within a family."

"Somebody wanted to use it as a weapon. What a surprise, hn?"

"No, they wanted to bring back their heiress. Kagura Kira died saving kittens from a house fire; ironic, seeing as how fire is their specialty. Her body wasn't burned, but she had suffocated from the smoke. The medical staff healed her lungs, and used the stone to try to bring her back."

Osaka came back in, placing two steaming cups down in front of the guests. "Only they brought back the wrong soul. Kagura Kira was gone, and someone else took her place."

"So who is she?"

"Hime. Well, that's what they call her anyways. Princess, though of what we're not really sure ourselves yet." Toku turned and paced the floor, "Osaka only knows the exact details of when she first awakened, but those who were there died. The Kagura clan leader had to take her down on his own. He erased her memories, sealing them in the very gem that brought her to life. He had to seal the gems power as well, which is why everything looks so desolate and ancient there. When the power source was taken, everything aged and died off within seconds. Those 'ruins' are only about a decade into being ruins."

"You still haven't told us why you want her." Sasori interrupted. The story was interesting, but it seemed like the gray-eyed woman was still leaving a few details out.

"I want to kill her. To keep the others in the family from knowing, they lied and pretended that the abomination really was Kira. Sadly for them, those who knew her knew better than to believe it. I was one of those people. I was thrown out of the village, since I am of a lower bloodline than the others." Toku's face contorted to one of rage. Her eyes flashed a red, but it didn't stay. The Kagura bloodline was in her veins, but she didn't have even a fraction of their powers. She had to come to her level of skill without the help of her family. Not that she had one anymore. Hime had taken care of that.

Osaka watched carefully from behind his mask, knowing his annoyed expression was hidden by it. Toku's hatred for Kira ran deeper than that, and he knew it. Hime, the being that was now Kira, was going to slowly remember who she was.

"So you just want revenge then." Sasori deducted. He turned slightly to Deidara, "or do you gain something from this gem as well?"

She shook her head, "I can't use it, and everyone else who could is already dead."

"…How deadly is she, exactly?" Deidara asked again. He knew that Sasori and he could handle a jinjuriki, but if things could be made easier they could take the help. If the Leader was okay with it, they had no problems at all especially.

"You know how the village that used to be the clans house is completely destroyed?"

"Hn."

"Hime did that, with a single blow. She's almost as devastating as a jinjuriki, though not quite."

-o-o-o-

"I think the gem is a part of me, literally." Kira said as she watched Kankuro and Temari train. Gaara was sitting next to her on a sand dune, allowing her to lean against his gourd. She had a few cuts and bruises from sparring, but she seemed to be fully recovered.

"When did you realize this?" He asked, turning his head to her slightly. He watched as her chest moved up and down heavily, her cheeks still flushed from her training. Her hair was tussled and crazy, a few blond curls falling into her face. She had cut her hair the other day. The once waist down length was now just above her shoulders. He had been shocked at first, but she stated that for some reason she just felt like cutting it. He missed being able to play with the long curls when she slept, but he soon grew to like the new look. It…suited her personality more. He also noticed she would wear it down more often, and her neck seemed more slender without all the curls hiding it.

It had been a little over a week since the incident. At night, when she slept he watched as her dreams caused her to either toss and turn or cry. He never asked when she woke up. She never remembered the dreams, or even when she fell asleep.

"After I cut my hair. I haven't had it short in so long, but when I saw it, I just seemed to remember something about my youth. My memories…aren't real. I have them, but it feels like they were placed and I never really remember them. Like I was told them, but never experienced them." She explained, reaching into her bag and pulling out two waters. She handed him one before uncapping the other and taking a large gulp. "I think that my memories were sealed, and that that masked person has been releasing them. The only thing I can't seem to remember is why."

He handed her his now empty water bottle, standing up to dust himself off before extending a hand to help her onto her feet. She took it, tilting her head slightly as she reached up and wiped some sand from his face. "Your eyes look more tired than usual." She commented, looking into his aquamarine orbs carefully. "Don't worry too much about me. I've taken care of myself with Kina for years. I don't mind the concern, but don't let it affect you! You're the Kazekage, after all."

Temari gave a shout of triumph as Kankuro fell to the ground, looking defeated. The poor puppet master lifted his head, laughing as her expression changed when a certain Nara appeared next to him. "Thought I'd find you three here…" he grumbled, helping the fallen up before turning to the Kazekage. "I have some information for you. It's important, so I'd prefer to say it in your office."

Gaara just gave a nod, "I'll head there first then. Go ahead and rest for a bit before coming. A storm is going to hit soon anyways."

"I still don't see how he can sense that…" Kira mumbled to Kina as the cat leapt onto her shoulder.

'_He is one with the sand like you are one with the flame…' _Kina replied with a purr as they dashed behind the red head, leaving the others to catch up at their leisure. '_I wish I could help you more, but sadly I cannot explain everything in a way that you could understand.'_

"You don't have to. I will figure it out on my own, like always. I don't want them to think I'm helpless, after all. I am one of Suna's strongest ninjas, and don't plan on my past to tear the small group of friends and possibly family apart."

Kina glanced at her companion. The cat was one of the kittens that Kira had given up her life to save, and she was the only one who did come out alive. She knew that Kira wasn't really Kira, but she had taken it as her own to help this strange lost soul. She was so similar to the real Kira, she wasn't really sure what to do. Humans tended to make things so difficult. '_Just remember you are not alone, Kira. That no matter what, you are you.'_

Kira grinned at that, "Of course. Like how Gaara is still Gaara, not matter what."

At the sound of his name he glanced back, a questioning look in his gaze.

"Nothing, Gaara. Just talking with Kina."

"I don't like being left out of the conversation."

"Well you talk to Shukaku."

"**She has you there."**

'_Good retaliation.'_

"No more talking until we get back to the office." He finally snapped, feeling a headache as Shukaku seemed to be waking up.

Kira, Kina, and Shukaku laughed, but consented to his order as the Kazekage office came into view.

Sadly, the news that Shikamaru would be bringing would end laughter for some time.

-o-o-o-

and that is all for now. Now to go see if I can eat something, and it actually stays down in my belly. I hope this shines some light onto who Kira/Hime really is. If it confuses you, so sorry. Things are going to pick up now.

Ja ne~


End file.
